The invention relates generally to the coordinated experience of broadcast video and audio content played on one device with interactive interfaces on provided on separate devices accessible to a viewing and listening audience.
The advent of separate and generally parallel content transmission media has recently led to many interesting concepts in the construction of coordinated experiences. For example, many television broadcasts have long invited viewers to “call in” or otherwise to visit websites, or to access content on other devices, such as smart phones, desktop and laptop computers, tablet computers, or even on the televisions themselves, where these are capable of such operations. To enhance the audience experience, the additional information provided on the parallel devices is often complimentary or in some way supplementary of the programming provided on the first device (e.g., a television set). Such complimentary content may include, for example, information relating to the program, performers, background stories, and so forth. In commercial contexts, the content may relate to special offers, commercial discounts, or a wide array of innovative offerings that present the potential for monetization.
At the same time, very popular broadcasts have invited viewers to vote or otherwise to participate in audience-influenced aspects of shows, such as by voting a contestant in a reality television show to continue or, conversely, to be dropped from a competition. In general, such voting is highly data-intensive, and current technologies have some difficulty in coping with the sudden and punctual influx of data in response to the programs. Little or no real apparent progress has been made in providing “real time” or program-relevant feedback from such audience interactions. As used herein the term “real time”, while permitting some delay due to processing, transmission, coding and decoding, nevertheless connotes the provision of audience-perceptible feedback in a program-relevant manner, typically during a period allotted for the audience interaction, and in a way that may even allow the audience to alter the feedback as it develops and is delivered.
It would further enhance the field to develop systems and methods that permit more time-relevant interactive information in scenarios of this type. It is believed that such advancements might not only further improve the audience experience, but may offer a wide range of new paradigms for coordinated programming, advertisement, information gathering and sharing, and so forth.